I saw a social media post asking “What’s the best ski resort in Australia?”
Nearly every comment recommended Japanese resorts like Hakuba and Niseko…
This sparked my curiosity, why are so many Australians favoring Japan’s powder snow over their own local slopes?
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi
*Blue bars represent Japan’s snow season
Data source: Japan National Tourism Organization (2024)
Data source: Japan National Tourism Organization (2024)
Snowpack conditions
Cost factors
Convenience
Photographer: Yoshiki Ishikawa
*Red represents Japanese resorts, blue represents Australian resorts
Data source: Zippenfenig (2023), Hersbach et al. (2023), Muñoz Sabater (2019), Schimanke et al. (2021)
Data source: Malcolm (2024)
Data source: National Statistics Center (2024)
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2025) Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia [Data set]. ABS. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/tourism-and-transport/overseas-arrivals-and-departures-australia/latest-release
Australian Ski Areas Association (2025) Australian Skier Visitation Statistics (’000) [Data set]. https://asaa.org.au/statistics/
Hersbach, H., Bell, B., Berrisford, P., Biavati, G., Horányi, A., Muñoz Sabater, J., Nicolas, J., Peubey, C., Radu, R., Rozum, I., Schepers, D., Simmons, A., Soci, C., Dee, D., Thépaut, J-N. (2023). ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present [Data set]. ECMWF. https://doi.org/10.24381/cds.adbb2d47
Japan National Tourism Organization (2024). Expectations regarding visit to Japan [Data set]. Japan Tourism Statistics. https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph–expectations–regarding–visit–to–japan
Malcolm (2024) Comparing Costs of Skiing in Japan vs Australia. Trail Voyage. https://trailvoyage.com/comparing-costs-of-skiing-in-japan-vs-australia/
Muñoz Sabater, J. (2019). ERA5-Land hourly data from 2001 to present [Data set]. ECMWF. https://doi.org/10.24381/CDS.E2161BAC
National Statistics Center (2024). Regional Statistics Database (System of Social and Demographic Statistics) [Data set]. e-Stat. https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/regional-statistics/ssdsview
Schimanke S., Ridal M., Le Moigne P., Berggren L., Undén P., Randriamampianina R., Andrea U., Bazile E., Bertelsen A., Brousseau P., Dahlgren P., Edvinsson L., El Said A., Glinton M., Hopsch S., Isaksson L., Mladek R., Olsson E., Verrelle A., Wang Z.Q. (2021). CERRA sub-daily regional reanalysis data for Europe on single levels from 1984 to present [Data set]. ECMWF. https://doi.org/10.24381/CDS.622A565A
Zippenfenig, P. (2023). Open-Meteo.com Weather API [Computer software]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.7970649